Caroline Moore (above), our Director of Nursing for Specialist Medicine, retired on Wednesday 30 March after 40 years in the NHS, 30 of them at our Trust – not bad for a plan b career!

She had planned to be a PE teacher but didn’t get into teacher training, so when some of her friends left home in Ireland to do nursing training in London, she followed them and has never looked back.

Having joined our Trust as a nurse practitioner in 1991, Caroline has done a range of roles during her time with us. She’s now looking forward to quality time with her family, including husband Geoff and daughter Alex, in retirement.

She said: “It’s the right time for me. I’ve been at our Trust for over 30 years and feel like I’ve had ten different jobs!

“I’m excited to have the time to do more of things I want, it’s a massively busy job – I like a challenge and my roles have definitely been challenging. It’s hard to leave my incredible team though, they are marvellous and the reason I’ve stayed so long. They know what they need to do, so I know they’ll be fine.”

Caroline is also looking forward to travelling more, with America, Bermuda, the Mediterranean and Antigua on her list. She even plans to try baking, and is determined to be able to make her mother-in-law’s lemon drizzle cake, and for it to be just as good!

We might still spot her in our hospitals too, as she will take on a part-time role supporting our Chief Nurses’ leadership development programme.

Caroline considered retiring a few years ago, but wasn’t quite ready, and while the pandemic took a heavy toll on everyone, she was glad she was alongside her team to work through it.

She added: “The team’s response to Covid-19 was phenomenal and I was incredibly proud. There was a lot of camaraderie and teamwork and I wouldn’t have had it if I wasn’t here with them. It shows that in 40 years in the NHS you can still see something different.

“I look back over my career with fondness and pride, I’ve been lucky to have had fantastic jobs and met amazing people. It’s a privilege to care for patients at their most vulnerable, they remember your kindness and compassion. There have been highs and lows and I just wonder how it went so fast – I wouldn’t change it!”

Read more about Caroline in her In Conversation With interview.